“re_______” meditated on the intersections of identity, history, and place through an interactive online performance and zine presented via Zoom and USPS in September 2020. The work aimed to return the physical to storytelling, archive, and record-making processes in a non-linear, non-narrative format. The process to create “re_______” started three years ago as I explored my relationship to Asian American identity and its often forgotten, misremembered, and intricate history. I found myself belatedly learning of these stories as an immigrant turned citizen, both in and out of the narratives that frame the experiences of Asians in America. “re_______” was an attempt to acknowledge, understand, and celebrate the breadth and multiplicities that build the collage of Asian American experiences.

In an effort to achieve the physical aspects of a performance during a global pandemic, I requested that audience members RSVP at least one week in advance. In return, I mailed them a small packet they were instructed not to open until directed on the day of the performance. On the day, audience members were sent a Zoom link. Once in the room, they were met by myself for a few introductions before being whisked off into four breakout rooms in which one of two films were screened. Afterwards, all audience members witnessed a live improvisation by myself before re-entering their breakout rooms to view the alternative film. Finally, the participants returned to the main room where they were instructed to open their package. Inside they found a zine, handmade paper created from my research documents, and a green tea bag. Together, we read the zine, drank the tea, and celebrated community before returning to our mostly solitary spaces.